


fear cuts deeper than swords

by VeryImportantDemon



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Death, Fear, Gen, Heavy Angst, Tony Stark is Peter Parker’s dad, spoilers for Infinity War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 04:03:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14464599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeryImportantDemon/pseuds/VeryImportantDemon
Summary: Tony’s pleas fall on deaf ears and wide eyes. Peter is gazing up at him with those wide doe eyes, those innocent eyes. The eyes of a child who has everything stolen from him. The eyes of a child whose parent has betrayed them.





	fear cuts deeper than swords

“Mr. Stark? Mr. Stark, what’s going on?”   
Tony’s heart leaps into his throat. Not the kid. Not here. Not today. Not ever. It was never, ever supposed to be Peter Parker. Tony crumples, falling to his knees. Immediately, he takes Peter into his arms. “It’s okay,” he finds himself saying even though he knows deep down that it will not be okay. “You’re alright,” he adds even though he knows deep down that Peter is not alright.   
Peter cries, his voice breaking and his face streaked with tears. The tears mix with blood by his lips, on his chin. There’s blood everywhere, so much. There’s so much blood and it’s all Peter Parker’s. There’s so much blood and it’s all Tony’s fault. The Iron Spider suit is shattered, sparking with wires sticking out in every direction but Tony doesn’t care because there’s blood and Peter is crying. He cradles the boy close, trying not to cry himself. “It’s okay,” he whispers. “It’s okay, it’s okay… Pete, come on, stay with me. Come on, Pete.”   
Tony’s pleas fall on deaf ears and wide eyes. Peter is gazing up at him with those wide doe eyes, those innocent eyes. The eyes of a child who has everything stolen from him. The eyes of a child whose parent has betrayed them. Tony is the parent and he has betrayed Peter. “Please,” Peter whispers. He reaches with one hand, the fingers trembling. “Mr. Stark…” He hiccups, gasping for breath again, and more blood rolls from his lips. “I’m sorry…” His hand falls and Tony’s heart falls, too.  
“No,” he says. “No, Peter. No. I said no. Please, you can’t. I’m sorry.” He can’t stop the tears now. They roll down his cheeks. “I was supposed to protect you… I should’ve protected you.”   
Peter gazes up at Tony. He’s stopped crying but he hasn’t stopped bleeding. The blood is bright red and the smell of it is so overpowering that Tony wants to gag. But more than that he wants Peter to stop bleeding. But he doesn’t. His eyes locking onto the older man’s, Peter Parker dies in Tony’s arms.  
“No,” Tony repeats. “No, no, no. No…” Realization washes over him. This is his fault. Peter Parker is dead, and Tony has done it.   
He sobs, but the tears that roll down his cheeks are scarlet.  
Tony blinks, sitting up straighter instantly. Peter’s body dissolves into scarlet smoke in his arms, but it isn’t the only thing. Everything around him disappears, too. He stands up, staring at his hands as he turns them over. No more blood. His heart pounds and he wipes his eyes with the back of his hand quickly as he squeezes them shut. It isn’t real. None of it is real. It is all Wanda’s doing because he asks her to do it. He wants to know what his greatest fear is so he can know how to fight it.  
When he opens his eyes, the girl is in front of him. Her hands are a few inches from his temples, her fingers twitching. Tears for her eyes, too. “Are you happy, Stark?” she asks, lowering her hands. “What did you see?”   
Tony shakes his head. He doesn’t want to think about that again. It felt so real. “Nothing,” he says sharply. “Thank you.”   
Wanda dips her head. “Alright,” she says. “We are even now, Stark,” she adds. “I only did his for you because of what you did for my Vizh. We are square and I owe you nothing at all.” Tony nods, but his mind is somewhere else entirely, somewhere where there is blood on his hands.   
—  
“Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good.”  
Tony rips his eyes away from where Doctor Strange sat mere moments ago, where now there is nothing. His heart seizes again. No, not Peter. He’s taken everyone else here. Not Peter, too. “You’re alright,” he says instinctively. It’s what people say to soothe scared children, right? And Peter is definitely a scared child. “I don’t know what’s happening.” He stumbles towards Tony, his legs giving out. “I don’t know what’s- Dad!” Tony sweeps forward, taking him into his arms. He wants to quiet him, to calm him, to tell him everything will be alright so he will believe it. His tongue is too heavy in his mouth, though, so all he does is squeeze Peter close. He thinks Peter calls him Dad and his heart breaks into even smaller pieces. Peter is 15, a kid, a baby. A scared little kid that wants his father and he falls into Tony.   
Tony just wants to protect Peter. All he ever wants is to protect Peter, but some kind of job he’s done at hat. They’re on Titan, in space, and Peter is dying.   
“I don’t know what’s happening,” Peter says again. His voice gets higher and more desperate, his grip on Tony tightening. His hands ball up Tony’s shirt in the back, anything he can reach, gripping it tight. “I don’t wanna go,” he cries. Tony can’t feel his tears but he knows they are falling. He knows his own are, too. “I don’t wanna go, Mr. Stark, please, please…” Whatever is left of Tony’s heart powders in his chest. Peter trusts him so much that is begging him to fix it and believes he can. Tony’s arms are shaking as he lowers the boy to the ground. He doesn’t want to last thing he sees to be Titan.   
Tony keeps a tight grip on the boy’s arm. “I don’t wanna go,” Peter cries again. “I don’t wanna go…” Tony lurches and he feels like throwing up. He wants to say something, anything, but for the first time in his life he can think of nothing to say.   
Peter looks up at him and somehow he has calmed down. He isn’t crying. He isn’t panicked. He looks calm, like he accepts his fate. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, and he turns to dust in Tony’s hands.  
Tony falls back, burying his face in his hands. He has seen his worst fear, but this is so, so much worse. 


End file.
